Peaches & Creme
by Sakura02
Summary: When Marron goes on a trip with her boyfriend, she realizes that she doesn't really love him like she thought she did. So, how on Earth can she tell him this when she's already promised to marry him? Goten x Marron in later chapters. DISCONTINUED
1. I Love You

Peaches & Creme Collaboration by: Artist-Chick31 and Sakura02 

º º º

"Marron, what d'you say we go and get some coffee?"

The young girl nodded; she was glad to be on a date with her boyfriend. The best part of it was the two of them were getting ready to celebrate their three-year anniversary this weekend, and he had promised that they would do something special.

"Hey babe, do you think we can go somewhere close by? My feet are killing me!"

Her boyfriend smiled. "Sure thing. We'll take the car, c'mon." With his big muscular arms, he gathered her up and carreid her the few yards it was to his parked car. He gently set her down and opened the passenger door to let her in.

"Thanks, sweetie," Marron said.

It felt nice to be riding in a car, rather than flying high in the sky-- she found it more romantic this way. Her boyfriend, being a half-Saiyan, didn't much like doing things the "normal way". But seeing as he was a ladies man, he still found ways to make her happy.

After about fifteen minutes (which is close when riding in a car), the happy couple reached their destination: Starbucks. Marron was out of her seat and already at the door before her boyfriend even had time to turn off the ignition.

"Well, aren't you in a hurry?" he asked, once they were inside and waiting in line.

"Sorry, I just really like coffee... And you," she added, smiling.

She turned back around to face the cashier. For a second, she stood there, mesmerized by the dark-haired man standing on the other end of the counter. He looked like Goten: his dark, spiky hair, those big, round eyes...

"...take your order?"

Marron blinked, brought back from her reverie. "Ah, sorry. I'll take a..."

"You were really into that guy, weren't you?" her boyfriend said, a little jealously.

They had ordered their drinks and had picked a small, round table by the window to sit at. Marron loved looking at different kinds of scenery, so they had picked this table, so she could get good views of the city.

"Trunks, don't say that! I have eyes for no one but you. I was just thinking about how much he looked like Goten," Marron said, reaching across the table and brushing long, purple hair, away from those magnificently blue eyes.

"I know, I was just teasing," Trunks said, pulling her hand away from his hair, an kissing it gently. "Hey, I have a surprise for you."

Trunks reached into his back jeans pocket and pulled out his wallet. He then pulled out two air travel tickets, with a destination of Honolulu, Hawaii on O'ahu.

"What do you say? Go with me?"

Marron had her hands clamped over her mouth. She knew Trunks was rich, but to take her on a trip half-way across the world was something she hadn't expected in the slightest. She was crying again; the stinging in the corners of her eyes were the sure sign.

"How did you get those?" she asked, her voice shaky.

Trunks made a face. "Hello, president of C.C., here! Getting vacation tickets like these are a cakewalk."

Several nearby people stopped and stared. It wasn't every day that you got to see the head of Capsule Corporation having coffee with his girlfriend like common people.

"Oh, right," Marron whispered.

"So, will you go with me for our anniversary?"

Marron nodded. "Of course."

"Great! Now, here's the second part of my surprise."

He reached inside Marron's shopping bag (they had gone shopping before getting coffee), and pulled out a small, red box.

"Where did you...?" Marron asked.

"I bought it when you weren't looking and slipped it into your bag. Now, give me your hand."

Instinctively, Marron held out her left hand. She didn't realize until Trunks had slipped the small ring on her ring finger.

"I love you, Marron."

The tears were flowing now, but she didn't care. Trunks, her boyfriend of three years, this weekend, was proposing to her. When she was little, she hadn't pictured it to be this way, or to even be with this man, but she was glad it was.

"I love you too, Trunks."

º º º


	2. I Just Don't Get It

Peaches & Creme

º º º "So, how do you like it, Marron?" asked Trunks; he was positively love-sick. He had managed to get a private jet for just him and his honey Marron.

"Oh, baby! It's really beautiful, but..." said Marron, her voice fading.

"But what?" asked Trunks, his voice slightly rising.

"Eh, wasn't this trip a lot? I mean, this jet is amazing, and I can't wait until we get to Hawaii, but it must have cost a small fortune! Why couldn't we just take your jet and save some money?"

"Oh, well, it's being remodeled right now. Now don't you worrying about the price of the trip, Marr. We should begin planning our wedding!"

"Yes, of course!" said Marron, blushing as she kissed her husband-to-be on the lips.

º º º

Sleep wouldn't come to Marron easliy. She kept feeling uneasy just thinking about her future wedding to the handsome president of Capsole Corp. When Trunks was finally asleep, she slowly slipped out of the room, careful not to wake him. It was very chilly, so she covered herself with a blanket she found nearby. She went to a small room that was decorated like a livingroom.She sat down on a leather sofa and was finally free to think about her thoughts.

"I just don't get it... I'm suppose to be happy about getting married! I've known Trunks all my life. He's sweet, funny, and caring. There's no one else quite like him. Maybe he's too perfect..." Marron thought aloud. Somehow, she couldn't get the notion out of her head that she couldn't marry Trunks.

There was a large window, and Marron could see all the night stars. She covered herself up better, and leaned her head on the sofa. The plane was quiet. Maybe it was being so high in the air, but she could think more clearly for the first time in a long time.

"Now, Goten's smart. He's got someone that worships his every step. Paris feels exactly the same about him as he does about her. They really love each other. Oh my Kami, heh! What am I doing thinking about Goten right now? I'm here with the man I love! I better get back to him before he wakes up."

º º º

"Marron, wake up babe!" said Trunks, a big smile on his face.

"Wha...? Are we there yet, honey?" asked Marron, slowly lifting her head.

"Well, not quite. We're taking a bit of a small detour. But we'll be there in about an hour."

"Oh...that's nice... Good night," Marron said, yawning.

"Hon, ha ha! Come on, we should start planning the wedding! It'll be great if we could have the wedding as soon as we get back home!"

"That would be perfect. All right, I'm up then," she replied with a huge yawn, sitting up in her soft bed. She gave Trunks a kiss and stared at the yellow notepad in his lap.

"What's that, Trunks?"

"This?" asked Trunks picking up notepad. "It's so we can write notes and stuff. Well, I think we should choose our friends who are going to be in the wedding."

"That's a great idea. Okay, for my maids-of-honor, I would like then to be both Bra and Pan."

"All right. Well, I'm going to have my best bud, Goten, as my bestman," said Trunks as he laid back on the soft bed next to his beautiful fiancee, rubbing her gently on the back.

"Oh my Kami... Think of all the guests we'll have to invite! Your whole family, mine, Goten's, Master Roshi and the gang, Uub, King Kai, Mr. Satan... Plus, your mom will probably go invitation-crazy!" exasperated Marron, becoming a little dizzy.

"Don't worry, Marron, I'll cover it. While we're in Hawaii, all you have to worry about is getting yourself the most beautiful wedding gown you can find," Trunks smiled. The way he talked could make anyone forget their problems instantly.

The hour past rather quickly as the two planned a wedding that seemed to involve more and more people coming to attend. (Marron wasn't practically fond of large crowds, especially if they were there for her.)

"Attention, love birds! This is your captain speaking, and I'm going to have to ask that you fasten your seat belts. We will begin landing at the airport on Oahu in approximately five minutes!"

º º º 


	3. I Came Here To See You

Peaches & Creme

º º º

"I want to go to the beach," Marron said. "I want to look at the waves and smell the salt in the air."

"All right, all right," Trunks said. "Seeing as our luggage won't arrive until this afternoon, I guess we can spend a little time on the beach."

After spending about ten minutes on the white sands of Hawaii, Marron stopped in her tracks and pointed out a girl tanning by the shore line.

From their current location, the girl looked somewhat familiar. She had long, mahogany-colored hair, and was wearing a yellow bikini.

"Paris?" Marron tried.

The girl turned. She got up in a hurry and rushed over to Trunks and Marron. "Hi, guys!"

"Paris, it's been a while," Marron exclaimed grabbing the other girl's hands. "What are you doing out here?"

Paris giggled. "Goten brought me here for our anniversary!"

"That's great! Trunks brought me here for our anniversary too!"

"Goten's here?" Trunks asked, looking around. "Where is he?"

"Oh." Paris's face fell and she looked down, almost sadly. "Well, we took a cruise over here, and Goten got really sick. He's back at the hotel resting."

"Got seasick, did he?" Trunks said, laughing.

Paris nodded.

"Trunks, that's not funny," Marron said sternly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I bet Goten's feeling miserable."

Paris looked up, her expression the total opposite of what it had been a minute ago. "Hey, maybe the two of you could come and visit him; I'm sure that'd cheer him up!"

"That's a great idea. Where are the two of you staying at?" Trunks asked gleefully.

"Right there." Paris turned around and pointed to the tall building behind them. "At the Aston Beach Hotel."

"That's not too far from where we're staying! We're right down the street at the Royal Hawaiian," Marron said.

"Wow," Paris said, bewildered. "I hear that it's really nice...and expensive."

Trunks rubbed the back of his head, blushing. "Well, yeah, it was a tad bit expensive, but... Weren't we gonna go check on Goten?"

Marron smiled. She knew Trunks didn't really like admitting that he had spent a good fortune trying to get them in at the Royal Hawaiian, especially since his best friend was staying at a less luxurious place.

º º º

Trunks laughed to himself; this place wasn't really as bad as he had originally thought, although it looked a little bit more than Goten could afford. It wasn't that Trunks thought badly of his friend's money, it was just that the Sons had lived nearly in poverty for as long as he could remember.

"Here's our room," Paris said, slipping her card key into the slot, and watching as the red light changed to green. Pressing down on the handle, she opened the door, permitting everyone inside. "Baby, I'm back," she called into the room.

Goten made somewhat of a groan, but said nothing more. Upon walking in, they noticed Goten, lying on his back, facing the ceiling with his eyes tightly shut.

Marron felt a stab of sympathy for Goten. As she had guessed, he looked completely miserable. His hair was uncombed and disheveled; his skin was peaky, and his face was pale, but it also had a tinge of green to it. Marron also happened to come across the foul-smelling bucket lying on the floor beside the bed. 

"Oh, sorry, go ahead and take a seat," Paris said to Trunks and Marron. She proceeded with sitting on the second bed, away from her sickly boyfriend.

Marron took this opportunity to sit on a small chair by the door. Trunks, on the other hand, plopped his rump on the same bed that Goten was resting on, smiling manically.

With this sudden wave of movement, Goten snapped his eyes open, and reached for the bucket on the floor. But he didn't throw up. When he had groped for the bucket, he had seen a flash of purple and gold. He looked up, and was confused and a little awe-struck to see Marron and Trunks sitting in the same room with him and Paris.

"Look who I found out on the beach," Paris said stupidly, as if it wasn't already obvious.

Goten made no inclination to ask why they were here in Hawaii, or even why they were sitting in his hotel room. He just continued to look at each of them, before lying back down and shutting his eyes.

It was when he had looked at her, did Marron notice the dark circles under Goten's eyes. She knew those couldn't have been caused by his seasickness, so she figured something else was keeping him awake at night.

"You don't look so good," Trunks said to Goten.

Goten waved his arm in the air, as if to shoo his friend away, but still remained silent. This only made Trunks grin more profoundly.

"Come on, Trunks," Marron said, standing up. "We should probably go, so that the two of them can spend some time together. Besides, I wanted to check out some of the shops."

Trunks stood up, and reached for Marron's hand. The two of them were heading towards the door, when a voice behind them caused them to halt.

"Wait!" Goten cried. He was sitting up again, his arm stretched out as if to try and grab his friends to make them stay. He was also panting heavily. "Don't go... I mean," he paused and turned to Paris. "You wanted to go shopping too, right? ...Why don't the four of us...just...go together?"

"Goten, you're in no condition to be walking around in this heat," Paris said, frowning.

"Nonsense," Goten said nonchalantly. "I'll be...I'll be fine."

º º º

And so, the four of them had commenced with shopping. It didn't take them long to realize that there were these small convenience, gift shop-type stores called ABC Stores on every block. It also didn't take the girls long enough to spend much of their boyfriend's spending money.

Luckily for Marron, her boyfriend was stock-rich, but Paris on the other hand, seemed to think the same of Goten.

"Goten, I want that, it's so cute!"

"No more for today, Paris," Goten said, rather snappishly.

Not once since they left the Aston had Goten complained about being ill, but he had recently become very irritable. He hadn't said much either, and whenever he had his answers were extremely curt.

His friends had noticed this too, but said nothing for fear of getting on his bad side.

"Are you guys hungry?" Marron asked, taking a moment to pause from her shopping.

"You bet!" Trunks said, rubbing his stomach. "What about you guys?"

Goten shrugged, Paris answered with a distinctive "Yes!"

"Oh, well, er...I need to use the little boys' room," Trunks said, jumping around. "So, I'll let you three pick the place."

And with that, Trunks sped off in the direction of the loo. Paris, looking a bit uncomfortable said, "Actually, I need to re-apply my mascara, and I don't have a mirror on me. You wouldn't happen to have one, would you Marron?"

Marron shook her head, smiling.

"Oh right, I'll be right back then."

Goten and Marron sat in silence for a few minutes. Marron still felt uneasy about getting on the wrong foot with Goten, so she sat quietly, twiddling her thumbs.

It was only when Goten heaved the heaviest of sighs, did Marron ask, "What's bothering you?" She put her hand on his thigh, urging him to confide in her.

"Nothing," he muttered in response. "I'm just not... Well, I'm not feeling all too good."

Marron smiled sadly at her friend. "Goten, I've known you my whole life, and you still can't pretend to lie to me and have me not notice."

Goten said nothing for a while, and then when he looked at her hand on his lap, he said, "That ring... So, Trunks finally proposed to you, huh?"

Marron blushed and averted her eyes. "Oh yes; this past week in fact. It was very romantic." They sat like this for another short while. When Marron could once again no longer contain herself, she asked, "When are you going to propose to Paris? You two make a really cute couple and--"

"I'm not."

"What? But Goten..."

"She and I haven't been getting along lately."

And it was left at that. Marron didn't get the chance to pry any deeper into Goten's personal life, because at the exact moment she had opened her mouth to ask, both Trunks and Paris were loudly making their way over towards them.

"Did you two decide where to go eat?" Trunks asked eagerly.

"Actually, we didn't," Marron said, turning to face Goten. "How about McDonald's? It's your favorite, right?

"Please don't mention anything to me about food," Goten said, shaking his head. "Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up."

Trunks looked at his friend sympathetically; Goten's face was that same green color that it had been back at the hotel.

"I saw a Jack in the Box over by that store," Paris said, pointing in front of her.

º º º

So, they had decided on Jack in the Box. It was silly to the Hawaiian natives yo see the display of the two couples: Trunks had been trying for the past hour to feed Marron the remainder of his fries, while Paris ate her food like a hungry alligator; Goten had his elbows on the table, resting his head in his hands.

About fifteen minutes later, Paris stood up, saying, "We should probably go back to our hotel now. I'm a little tired and I think this smell is making Goten sick."

Beside her, Goten nodded his head as if to say, "It is."

"Yeah, don't push yourself too hard," Trunks said, patting Goten on the back. "Gotta save some of that energy for that bed-time rumble."

Goten turned around and gave Trunks the nastiest look he could muster while being overpowered by the greasy smell of cheeseburgers and fries. Trunks seemed unfazed by this as he and Marron led their friends out of the restaurant.

"Trunks, that was very crude of you," Marron said, as she and Trunks walked the opposite direction towards their own lodging place.

"Nah, he knew I was joking."

"Even still. The two of them aren't getting along... Which reminds me, do you know what they're arguing about?"

Trunks thought for a minute. "...Yes and no. I know it has something to do with him not loving Paris as much as he used to. I'm pretty sure he likes someone else, but he won't tell me who it is."

"What if it's Bra?" Marron said excitedly. "But he's afraid to tell you because he's not sure how you'd take it!"

"Babe, that's silly. Goten doesn't like Bra!"

"I was only telling you what I thought," Marron said, frowning.

"Hey, hey now! You know I don't like it when you make that face! Now, come here."

Already knowing what Trunks had in store for her, Marron stood on her tiptoes and closed her eyes. Trunks bent his body forward, and swept his lips over hers.

º º º

That night Marron awoke with a start. She had been dreaming about her wedding, when her uncle "#17" had shown up and attempted to destroy Trunks because he wasn't short or bald like her father had been when he was younger.

Marron giggled into her hands. What a funny thought! Her uncle was dead and if he wasn't, she knew he wouldn't care what Trunks looked like. Deciding to get some fresh air, she walked out onto the hotel's overly huge balcony and looked out at the stars.

"You ought to be more aware of your surroundings, Marr."

Startled, Marron turned, and was now face-to-face with Goten.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered frantically.

From what she could see by the moonlight, Goten was looking much better than he had earlier, except for the fact the he was still ghostly pale. The dark circles under his eyes were now more noticeable than ever.

He smiled weakly at her and said, "I came here to see you."

º º º

Sakura's A/N: Buwa. Okay, about the whole seasickness thing, I know it seems like it's dragging on and on, but that's because real seasickness does! At least...it did for my friend. :) 


	4. I Hate This

Peaches & Creme

º º º

"Goten...," Marron began quietly. She quickly turned around and closed the glass sliding door so as to not wake Trunks, who was sleeping peacefully.

"I already know what you're going to say Marron. 'You shouldn't have come here! What if Trunks saw you?' ...Am I right?" Goten mocked, a sad kind of smile on his pale face.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Marron whispered, looking at Goten and strangely, how muscular he had become over the years.

"I know you don't feel the same about Trunks as he does about you..."

"Of course I do! How dare you question our relationship like that!" Marron shouted a little too loudly. She turned around and made sure Trunks hadn't heard. Fortunately, he hadn't.

"Come on Marron. I've known you all my life, you don't think I know when you're lying to me?" Goten asked, almost making fun of what she had told him earlier.

"Please Goten, please don't do this to me right now," Marron pleaded, refusing to look at him. She knew he had been right about her feelings of Trunks. How come whenever she looked at Goten, she felt this pull, this desire, that she hadn't ever gotten from Trunks? Was it because she wanted someone she knew she could now never have? Goten was someone she had known, like Trunks, all her life but had never really considered more than friend, until now.

"Marr-"

"Please just go... If you leave now, I promise not to tell Trunks you were here," Marron said meekly, slowly opening the glass door. When she glanced back at Goten, the hurt look on his face was unbearable to her.

"Wait, there's another reason why I came here tonight, if not only to see you," Goten said, smiling wryly.

"What is it?" Marron exasperated.

Goten took a step forward, and cradled Marron's cheek with one hand, and stroked it with the other. Marron felt a tingling feeling that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end; Trunks had done this exact same thing the night he had proposed. Then, without so much as a warning, Goten twisted her neck upward, so that she had nowhere to look but as him. He then, leaned forward, and planted a deep kiss on Marron's lips.

Terrified, Marron tried to push herself back away from Goten. She was even more afraid when he grabbed both her arms, and pinned them down by her sides; his lips were still locked to hers. Only when he felt a warm droplet of water hit his arm, did he back off.

Seeing the look on her face, made his heart ache. He felt dizzy, and felt that his judgement was impaired. He had just kissed his best friend's fiancee.

Shaking slightly, but not noticeably he stepped on the ledge of the balcony and soundlessly, dropped to the sandy beach below (he flew, duh!). Marron stepped back through the door, her fingertips pressed against her lips.

When she knew he was gone, only then did Marron dare to move from her spot by the door. She went back out to the balcony, and looked down as tears began falling freely from her blue eyes like drops of rain.

Her problem was that she knew she loved Goten. Perhaps, even more than she loved her own fiancee. Her other problem was how to tell the two boys. Should she even bother?

"I hate this... I hate this so much," Marron whispered to herself, as she continued to sob into her hands.

"Whaa...? What time is it?" Trunks asked, half-asleep. "Marron, are you crying? What's wrong?" He leaped from the bed and rushed over to the balcony.

"Trunks, I'm s-sorry I woke you, b-baby," Marron said in between sobs.

"That doesn't matter. But hey, tell me what's wrong," Trunks said, gingerly wrapping one of his big, strong arms around her shoulders.

"I-It's nothing, I s-swear, " Marron said. She was lying through her teeth for the second time today.

"Marron! It's not 'nothing' if you're sitting here crying about it! Now, tell me so I can help you," Trunks pleaded, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her inside where it wasn't so chilly.

Should I tell him? Tell him that we shouldn't get married because I'm in love with his best friend? Marron asked herself, almost laughing at the thought. She felt herself carefully being placed back on the bed by Trunks.

"Now, tell me what's wrong."

"Well," Marron began desperately trying to think of something clever to say. Finally, she came up with, "I'm on my period, and I couldn't sleep with all of the cramps. And that's why I was saying, 'I hate this'..."

"What! Trunks said, wide-eyed. Apparently, this wasn't the answer he had expected in the slightest.

"See, I told you it was nothing. I'll just go make myself some herbal tea and take some Midol. Then, I'll try and go back to sleep," Marron said, blushing slightly.

"Uh, yeah sure. I'm just gonna go back to bed. I hope you feel better," Trunks said, giving Marron one last kiss on the cheek, and rolling over in bed.

She could still feel Trunks gaze on her, so she pretended to be looking for medicine in her purse. She looked behind her, and Trunks had turned the opposite way. While she had pretended to rummage through her purse, her hands had crossed over a photo.

It was a picture of her and Goten standing side by side at Capsule Corp. It had been for Bra's birthday a few months ago, and everyone was required to dress elegantly for the party.

Marron had chosen to wear a strapless white dress that flared out toward the bottom, and had diamonds along the top hem of it. Her blonde hair was in curls that night, flowing from a clip in her hair.

Goten was looking rather dashing with an expensive black tux Trunks let him have (it's really nice to have rich friends) as he held out a glass in toast to Marron. His jet-black hair was tied back into a ponytail, letting you see all of his father's handsome features (he was growing it out, ha!).

Suddenly, Marron imagined herself in the picture wearing an extravagant wedding gown instead of her party dress. In her hands, she held a bouquet of red roses instead of the gift she was going to give to Bra.

Goten looked the same, with the exception of his messy hair, like it had been tonight, and he was holding out a ring to Marron, not a glass.

"Eek!" Marron squeaked, suddenly dropping the picture and covering her mouth. She glanced back at Trunks, but he just covered himself with the covers. Marron sighed, and carefully picked up the photo from the floor. To her relief, it looked like it should have been. She jammed the picture back in her purse, and curled up in bed next to Trunks.

She managed to fall asleep again, but had dreams of flowers, rings, and Goten.

º º º 


	5. I Have Something To Tell You

Peaches & Creme 

º º º

"Heh, I think there's something wrong with your fiancee."

Trunks looked over at Marron, also wondering why Goten had put so much of a stress on the word "fiancee". But he indeed noticed something was wrong with Marron. She seemed to be watching Goten very intently, but truth be told, she was actually staring past him, lost in thought.

"Hello? Marron, are you in there?" Frowning, Trunks waved his arm in front of her face.

She blinked, obviously startled. "Huh? Oh, I'm sorry... Did you say something?"

"Yes," Trunks said, sounding upset. "What's wrong?"

Marron snuck a quick glance over at Goten. To her dismay, she saw him holding out half a piece of bacon from his mouth, and allowing Paris to grab the other half with her mouth (like the spagetthi scene in Lady and the Tramp).

"Uh, nothing," she said a little too quickly.

She then saw Trunks looking over in the direction of Goten and Paris. He had stopped feeding her, and now had a look of confusion and unconvincing alarm.

"Um, are you two having some sort of premarital fight, or something? 'Cause if you are, we can leave," Goten said, jerking his thumb towards the door.

"No, we're fine," Trunks said, scowling some.

Marron now seemed a little embarrassed. Like her, Goten knew that Trunks was aware that he and Paris were having their own relationship problems, but he also seemed to only show this side when Trunks was actually watching him.

She truly hadn't meant to make Trunks mad at her for not telling him what was bothering her.

"So, G-Goten," she began, her mouth quivering. "What made you decide to bring Paris here for your anniversary?"

Goten's breath caught; he was taken aback by Marron's question. After a pause that seemed like an eternity, he said, "I just wanted to go somewhere different."

"How on Earth did you get the money to come here, though?" Trunks asked, starting in the conversation.

Goten put his arm around Paris, as she snuggled closer to him. "I was working at Starbucks. I've been working there for over a year, but I never told you because I was a little embarrassed. I mean, c'mon, a coffee shop?"

"Wait, you work at Starbucks?" Marron asked, perplexed. "Were you there on Thursday?"

Goten put his finger to his chin, thinking. "Hmm, Thursday... Oh, no! That's right, I had Michael take my shift that day."

"Oh, because Marron seemed to think that the cashier looked like you. You should have seen her; she was just goggling at him."

Goten paused, and then turned to Marron, a gleam in his eyes. "That was Michael. Everyone says we could be twins, but I just don't see it."

Suddenly, and very much without warning, Marron had dropped her silverware and was saying loudly, "What are you talking about, Goten? He looked just like you! If it weren't for that fact that you're more--" Marron gasped, and quickly covered her mouth.

"More what?" Paris asked.

"More...taller. Goten's taller than him," Marron said, smiling weakly.

º º º

After breakfast, Marron felt exhausted. She had nearly given herself away by saying that Goten was more SOMETHING compared to his co-worker Michael, and Trunks still seemed a little disappointed in her for not confiding in him.

Goten had suggested that they go swimming at the beach, and Marron had had no alternative thing to say, that she accepted without thinking. She now regretted it with all her heart.

She knew, that as men, Trunks and Goten, would want to take off their shirts in the heat, but when they met on the shoreline, she felt thwarted to find him not in the slightest bit of interest to want to remove his shirt.

"Aren't you hot in that?" Trunks asked, looking at Goten.

"Nah, I'm fine," he answered, and when Trunks turned, he winked at Marron. "Come here," he mouthed to her.

"Yes?" Marron said, sitting down in the sand.

Goten leaned over, lowering his head so that he was level with her. He was so close to her, that Marron could feel his warm breath against her cheek, and if it was at all possible, she felt him moving closer still.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear.

Without even meaning to, Marron let out a scream and lept up from the ground. She was blushing terribly, and when Trunks made his way over to find out why she had screamed, Goten answered for her.

"I was telling her a joke. Apparently, she didn't find it that funny."

"Since when do you tell funny jokes, Goten?" Trunks asked, smiling. "If they're anything like your dad's used to be..."

Goten stopped, a look of discomfort on his face. But it was gone when he said, "What are you talking about? I have the best sense of humor in the world! Now, listen to this: what do you call a cow without a cowboy?"

Marron knew talking about Goku had always been a touchy subject for Goten, but she said nothing, and continued on her way over to Paris, who was tanning herself.

"Paris?" Marron said, leaning over her friend.

Paris removed her sunglasses, looking up at Marron. "Yes?"

"Umm...could I talk to you about Goten?"

Sitting up, Paris turned to where her boyfriend was sitting with Trunks. She studied him a while, before saying, "What, did he get sick again? I told him eating all that food and coming straight out to the beach wasn't a good thing..."

"Well, no, he's fine. But I was going to ask: you two are having some sort of problem, right? Would you mind, if I asked what was going on?"

Marron felt guilty about asking these questions; actually, she felt more nosy than guilty. It was almost as if she was trying to understand their relationship better.

"Not at all," Paris said, shaking her head. "Goten told me about your anniversary with Trunks. But for some reason, he started acting moody whenever I brought up the subject of ours. Then..." Paris's voice faltered some. "Then, he told me he didn't love me anymore."

"So, is that why your hotel room had two beds?"

"Yours only has one," Paris said, nodding. "That's good."

Paris had a smile on her face, but Marron could tell it was forced. She felt bad for the girl. How could Goten just blurt out that he didn't love his girlfriend of two years? And to do it on their anniversary was unforgiveable.

"Paris..." Marron reached over and hugged the girl, whose body was now shaking. Not only did Marron feel bad for asking Paris to explain this to her, but also because she knew that she was the girl Goten had feelings for.

"I want h-him to be h-happy," Paris stammered. "But is it selfish for me to want to be happy with him?"

"Of course not," Marron said quietly, stroking the other girl's hair. She could feel droplets of water falling onto her shoulder, and she blinked as she tried to hold back her own tears.

º º º

Marron had trouble sleeping that night. She tried everything her parents had taught her: close your eyes and just lay there, think about the day's events; she even tried counting dragonballs.

Her mind was on the day's past events, but none of them left her any comfort. She kept telling herself she loved Trunks, but a small part of her brain was telling her otherwise. She clenched her fist and realized she had forgotten to take off her ring. The tears were really coming now; in fact, she was sobbing.

In an attempt to not rouse Trunks again, she got out of bed and headed towards the balcony. When she was outside, she looked over the ledge to see if there was any sign of Goten. There wasn't.

"Psst!"

The waves are really beautiful, Marron thought.

"Psssst!"

The weather feels nice too... "But that cricket is starting to bug me."

"Who're you calling a cricket?"

Marron looked up from the waves on the sandy beach, and was once again, standing face-to-face with Goten. In total horror, she tried to let out a scream, but Goten was too quick; he had already slapped his hand over her mouth to muffle her.

"Come with me, I have something I need to tell you," Goten said, and without removing his hand from her face, he picked her up in his arms, and drifted down to the sands below.

"Goten, take me back now! Who do you think are you, justing taking me away from Trunks like that?"

"Shh! Do you want the whole island to hear you? I told you there's something I need to tell you."

Marron crossed her arms and tapped her foot imapatiently. She was glad about one thing: she wasn't the kind of girl to wear frilly nightgowns to bed, so at least Goten could look at her face when he talked and not somewhere that might be distracting.

"Let's hear it then..."

Goten stayed quiet, almost as if he were thinking of what to say. He scratched his head and then his temple. "Okay," he said finally. "Let's sit down."

He's staling! Marron thought irritably.

"I love you..."

"Goten, I--"

"Don't interrupt me, please.

Goten grabbed Marron's hand and led her over to a stone ledge a few yards from the shoreline. Even after they sat, he continued to hold her hand as if he was thinking of never letting go. Only after Marron pulled her hand away, did he have no choice but to give it back.

"Look, Marr," Goten began. "I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time. Okay, it wasn't too long ago..." After saying this, he stood up, and put a hand up to his face, rubbing his temple. "Ugh, I can't tell you this now. Is there anything you wanted to do earlier?"

Marron looked up curiously at her fiancee's best friend, who was also one of her closest friends. She was trying to read his facial expression, but it was really hard whenever it changed every few minutes. She also wanted to answer his question, but his strange behavior had her a little worried.

"I...yes," she choked. She waited for him to say something, but when he remained silent to added, "I wanted to take a boat out onto the ocean."

She didn't know what made her say it; she wasn't even sure she wanted to be out on the water. Goten stood there, in the moonlight, unmoving, his expression unreadable, but then he held out his hand and said, "All right. What do you say we go see if there's still a boat to rent at this hour?"

Marron accepted, grabbing his hand. She hadn't realized it before, but as he led her to another spot on the beach, she noticed that she was trembling. Was it the late Hawaiian breeze, or the fact that she knew she shouldn't be doing this? Or was it something else?

They reached a blanket of sand that Marron realized was only tens of yards away from the Royal Hawaiian. The thought of Trunks seeing them together, with Goten's hand in hers, made her sick.

Oddly enough, there was still one boat left for them to rent out this late at night. The captain said he was more than willing to take "two young lovebirds on a late-night cruise"; but when Marron tried to correct his mistake, Goten only accepted the man's offer.

As the man untied the knots that would set his ship asail, Marron noticed the uneasy look on Goten's face. She wasn't sure if it was the pale light from the moon, but she thought he looked really uncomfortable. Then, it hit her like a sack of potatoes...

"Oh, Goten, I forgot!" Marron cried, instinctively grabbing his shoulder. "Come on, let's get off."

"Too late," Goten said, hoarsely, for the captain had already finished with all his knots and was already making his way back over to begin steering the boat.

"Aye, laddy," the captain said, taking notice of Goten. "Yeh get sick, got ye?"

Goten nodded.

"Well, ye as better be unmovin'; and lie down, I don't want yeh gettin' sick all over me deck."

Goten did as he was told, but he tried still to concentrate on what he had planned to tell Marron. Unfortunately, he had also read back at his hotel that trying to mutli-task while being seasick was only going to back him feel worse. Unabiding by the captain's instructions, Goten sat back up, looking Marron directly in the eye.

He heaved one last sigh and began, "I haven't just been working at Starbucks."

Marron blinked. She has been concentrating on the moonlit water, and had almost forgot why she was there. "Huh?"

"Last year, Trunks told me he was going to propose to you here in Hawaii. He told me how much it would cost to get the two of you here, so I...," Goten paused, swallowing hard as if to keep whatever was rising in his throat to stay down. "I worked four jobs and saved up enough money for me and Paris."

"Y-You what?" Marron was so taken aback by Goten's comment, that she was really unable to say anything else.

"I had been dating Paris only a year when I told her I didn't love her anymore. I hated breaking her heart, but I couldn't keep living that lie. I knew then that I--"

Goten put a hand to his cheek, a look of surprise on his face. Marron had just slapped him, tears flowing from her eyes.

"You're a jerk," she said, shakily. "A selfish jerk. How could you even think about saying something like that to your girlfriend? I can understand you not being as attracted to her, but to tell someone you don't love them? And what even gave you the nerve to tell her that?"

"Because I love you," Goten said, his face almost sad-looking.

Marron slapped him again, but this time it hurt twice as much. Goten watched as more tears leaked from her eyes.

"Would you quit doing that?" he said, a little annoyed. He wasn't quite sure if he meant for her to stop slapping him or to stop crying. Truth be told, he wanted both to cease.

"No!" Marron cried. "Not until you quit making up these lies about being in love with me! You shouldn't play with a girl's feeling's Goten. It's Paris you love, not me."

"But I'm not lying: I love you, Marron." Goten stretched his arms forward, and pulled Marron in for a hug, although she did not return the favor.

"This isn't right," she breathed into his ear.

"I know," Goten whispered back, pushing her away. "...I kept seeing Paris, but I don't even know why. We haven't been the same around each other since then, except, she's been very clingy recently."

"But this morning at breakfast...?" Marron said, looking up.

"It was an act; I wanted to make you jealous."

"Then, how come when Trunks looked over at you two, you were acting the total opposite?"

"All this I'm telling you, he already knows about it...except for the part where I told you I loved you. That remains a secret between the two of us, all right?"

Marron nodded. "Look Goten, you can't keep doing this. If you're going to break up with Paris, do it. It's not fair for you to still be with her if there's no connection."

"That's just it, Marr: I can't break up with her. She hasn't really got anyone else. Sure, she's got her parents, but only a boyfriend can love her the way I did."

"And what makes you think she can't find herself a new boyfriend?" Marron said defensively.

"She told me when we first starting dating. We were both twenty and I had been her first boyfriend...ever. Who finds their first boyfriend at that age?"

Marron blushed. "Not too many people, I suppose."

"Exactly."

They sat in silence for nearly half an hour. They hadn't even noticed that the boat had already begun heading back to shore. It was only when they felt a jolt as the boat made contact with the sand, did they bother to say anything.

"We're back," Marron said cheerfully, stepping off the ship.

"Thank Kami for that," Goten said, as he followed her down. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Marron shut her eyes and covered her ears, for at that exact moment, Goten had doubled over, emptying the contents of his stomach onto the wet sand.

"Tha's it, son," the captain urged him. "I'm just glad it wasn't on me deck."

º º º

The next day, Goten had woken up well past noon, and that was only because Paris had told that she was leaving to go shop and had asked if he wanted anything to eat. The answer she had gotten had not been a pleasant one. Goten had made a gross-sounding burp and had dashed off to the bathroom to throw up.

By the time he had finished, he noticed Paris had called in the hotel medic. She asked him how he felt and he replied with tired, cold, and nauseous. The woman then diagnosed him with being seasick.

"That isn't possible," Paris said, frowning. "We haven't been on a boat in days."

"I'm only diagnosing him based on his symptoms, ma'am. Now Mr. Son, it's advised that you stay here and out of the sun. And if you think don't think you'll get sick, eat something light, and make sure it's not greasy or spicy."

Goten nodded, and watched as the nurse bid them a good day, leaving him and Paris alone.

"...I have a confession," Goten said quietly. "Marron and I rented a boat and took it out to sea last night. I told her about us. She thinks I should just call it off between us."

"I think you should too!" Paris said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Don't you start crying; she did enough of that last night. I hate it when women cry... Besides, you've had a year to call it off, but you decided against it in case I changed my mind about you."

It was not a good time for the couple, and it would have ended worse if not for the phone, which had begun to ring. Goten found it annoying, but he also didn't wish to have the same conversation with Paris that he had had with Marron hours before. So, he picked up the phone on the bedside table.

"H'lo?"

"Goten? It's Trunks."

Goten noted right away that his friend sounded frantic.

"What's wrong?" Goten asked, regaining some of his vigor.

"I can't find Marron."

º º º

Bri's author note: chapter dedicated to leanne. I totally forgot I needed to upload this chapter (it's been finished for about a week and a half). Thanks girlie! )


	6. I Would Be Honored

Peaches & Creme

º º º

"What do you mean she's missing?" Goten bellowed into the reciever. He knew that it was probably his fault that Marron had gone missing, but he partly blamed Trunks for not taking better care of her.

"I woke up this morning and she wasn't here! Her side of the bed is made though, and her shoes were gone, so, I know she went on her own," Trunks replied, sounding shooken up.

"It's okay, don't worry, I'll help look for her. But first, did you look around the hotel?"

"Of course I did, Goten!" Trunks shouted.

"Hey, there's no reason to get mad at me. I'll be right over to help you look for her."

When Goten hung up the phone, Paris asked, her voice trembling, "W-What was all that about?"

Goten had almost forgotten she was still there with him, even after what they had just talked about.

"Trunks can't find Marron, and he thinks she's gone off somewhere on her own. I'm going over to help look for her."

"I'm coming with you!" Paris said, standing from the bed. "Marron is as much my friend as she is yours. We can talk about us later."

"Paris--" Goten began, his voice rising. He then rememebered what Marron had told him on the boat, and how inhuman it was to just leave his girlfriend behind. "All right, you can come. Right now, the important thing is to find Marron and make sure she's okay."

Paris nodded, wipping tears from her mahogany-colored eyes.

º º º

"Hey," Trunks greeted as Goten landed on Trunks's hotel balcony, Paris in his arms.

"Any more news on Marron?" Paris asked, peeking around Goten's shoulder to get a better look at the beautiful and expensive hotel room that was occupied by a single bed. Paris cringed as she felt a stab of jealousy.

"No, but I found out that she took her purse... She left her cell phone though," he replied softly, pointing to a pink-plated cell phone laying on the night stand near the bed. He went and picked it up in his hands and sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at it.

"We should split up and look--"

"Why do you think she'd just leave like this?" Trunks cried, his face flushed.

"I...I don't know," Goten lied, mentally cursing himself. "Maybe she just wanted sometime to herself."

"I know she didn't go shopping or anything, because she would have at least left me a note," Trunks thought aloud, as though he hadn't heard a word Goten had just said. "And she wouldn't have forgetten her phone unless she didn't want to be found, right?"

"Oh Trunks," Paris said, sitting down beside him and patting his knee. "We'll find her. She loves you; she'd never just get up and leave."

Goten flinched at this comment, but no one seemed to notice. It was odd: ever since Trunks had called, Goten's seasickness had instantly vanished. But was this new pain in his gut his guilty conscious rearing it's ugly head?

"Come on, let's split up and look. I'll rent a car and we can drive around the beach," Trunks said, a new bravado rising within him.

"I'll go search the mall and other nearby stores" Paris suggested, getting up from the bed. Trunks handed her a map of all the shops that he had gotten from the hotel lobby when he and Marron had arrived.

º º º

Marron had been walking all night up and down the sandy beaches. The sun had just begun to rise when she had to stop to rest a minute.

"Wheww... I wonder if Trunks is up yet?" she panted. "I feel so stereotypical! I just got mad at Goten for leaving Paris, and now look what I'm doing to Trunks." She sat down on alarge rock and gazed out at the vast ocean and lost herself in her thoughts for a moment.

She thought of that picture that had been changed in her mind. Her and Goten married... The thoughr made her feel all warm inside. Why had it taken her so long to realize that it was Goten she truely loved and not Trunks? If she had found out sooner, would she still be with her fiancee?

"Marron!" shouted a famillar voice high above her.

It wasn't Goten, but Trunks, desending beside her on the beach. He stared a moment into her blue eyes, and then gave her a once over.

"Baby, are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?" he asked, taking hold of her hands.

"No, I'm fine," she replied dully, staring down at the small pebbles on the sand as if they had much more importance than Trunks being there.

"So, why did you run away then?" Trunks asked, almost too softly.

"I-I don't know Trunks. I guess I just freaked out about this whole wedding thing. You know, pre-wedding jitters," Marron explained.

"Oh Marron, why didn't you tell me this sooner? I'm just as nervous about this as you are. You didn't have to run off like that!" said Trunks, pulling Marron into a strong embrace.

Marron felt tears whelling up quickly. How could Trunks still love her, even after she left him to be with Goten at night? Of course, he didn't know about her late night escapade.

"I'm really sorry, babe. I guess I wasn't thinking straight..." Marron said, remembering her time alone on the boat with Goten. The pale moon light and stars had made the scene so romantic. This pull on her heart for Goten seemed to get stronger everyday. At least tomorrow they would be on the plane ride back home to Japan.

"Um... are you sure that's all that's wrong?" Trunks asked skeptically.

"Of course, but we should probably get back to the hotel. We still do have a wedding to plan," Marron said, smiling.

º º º

"Where in the world did you find her, Trunks?" Goten asked, once they were all back at the hotel. As soon as they had gotten back, Marron had fallen asleep in their large bed. That's why they talked in whispers just outside of the room.

"She was on the other side of the island, resting on a large bolder. She was quite a ways from here. She must have been walking for quite some time then..." Trunks grumbled, staring into his best friend's eyes.

Goten averted his eyes, and began to pace the long hallway.

"Hey, why are you still shaken up about this, Goten? Marron's back with Trunks and she's safe!" Paris chimed, placing a soft hand on his leg as he strode past. He turned and looked at her with a sad expression on his face.

Everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours had finally taken it's toll on poor Goten. He slumped down against the wall, and then buried his head in his hands. He couldn't believe that Marron was back with Trunks again. He, Goten, was the one who loved her! He sighed deeply, shaking his head.

"Hey, buddy... What's wrong?" Trunks asked, sliding over towards him.

Goten looked up, and gave Trunks a small smile. "Nothing, don't worry about it."

"Yah know, I would be honored if you would be my best man at the wedding," Trunks said with a grin, giving Goten a soft punch in the arm.

"Really? Well, that sounds great," Goten said.

º º º

That night, Trunks stayed wide awake. He had had four cups of coffee, not having wanted to fall under sleep's tempting spell; he had to make sure nothing else happened to Marron. He was going to be her husband, after all.He made a deal with himself to start watching out more for her, and that meant making sure she didn't run off again.

He watched the slow rise and fall of her chest, as she breathed easily in her slumber. He was glad she at least could have a restful sleep on their last night in Hawaii...

º º º

"Trunks, are you sure that's everything?" Marron asked, sitting on her large suitcase to slam it shut. She jumped off and quickly zipped the zipper, and then pulled it off their giant-sized bed.

"Yes, Marron," Trunks mumbled, tossing a duffle bag out into the hallway.

"What's wrong?" Marron asked, dragging her suitcase just outside the door.

"Nothing, okay?" Trunks snapped. "I just didn't sleep well, that's all..." He followed Marron outside the room, slamming the door behind them. He then turned and picked up the heavy luggage bags with ease.

Marron, not wanting to upset Trunks further, stayed quiet and fumbled with her bags. Staying three foot paces behind, she followed Trunks into the mirrored elevator. She had just gotten in when the door closed behind her; Trunks had already pushed the button for the floor they desired.

She was glad that the elevator shook so much, because then Trunks couldn't tell that she was trembling. She didn't know what had set him off this morning, and she was a little afraid to pry when he had already told her it was from lack of sleep.

"Umm...Trunks?" she begun, quietly.

"Yeah?"

She hesitated for a brief moment, before continuing, "I wanted to thank you for bringing me here, I had a great time." She stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips across his cheek. "I love you, babe"  
Inside, Marron winced. What she had just said sounded strange, and almost alien. Did she really and truly mean it anymore?

Trunks took her hands, staring at them for a while, before slowly dropping them at her sides.

"I'm sorry I snapped you at back there, Marron. I told you, nothing's wrong, I'm just tired," Trunks said, giving a small smile. "Anyway, Goten called this morning and said he and Paris wanted to tell us goodbye before we left. They should be waiting for us outside the hotel."

"What time does their ship set off?" Marron asked, adjusting the heavy bag on her shoulder.

"I think he said about five-thirty or six," Trunks replied as the elevator doors opened once they reached the lobby. They rushed out as a small crowd of people clambered in to go up to the pool. After checking out of the hotel, they exited the glass doors that led to Waikiki Beach. They were barely out there for a minute when Marron spotted Goten and Paris making their way over.

"Howdy guys!" Paris greeted, giving them both a quick hug. "You two have a safe trip back!"

"Thanks, you too. Try not to get sick on the way home,Goten!" Marron laughed, seeing how nervous he was looking.  
Goten gave her a small nod, and then turned away.

Finally, Trunks heard Marron say that they had to get going, for fear that they wouldn't make it back home in the time their families expected. Marron gave Paris one last hug, and then walked over to hug Goten.

Their embrace lasted longer than it should have, because neither of them wanted to let go first.

Trunks watched them for a while, before pulling Marron away and bringing her towards himself. He held her hand protectively as they walked off to board their plane back to Japan.

º º º 


	7. I Shouldn't Love Marron

Peaches & Creme

º º º

"Trunks?"

"Hmm?"

"Oh, hon, did I wake you? I'm sorry; I forgot how tired you were, but I--"

"--What is it, Marron?"

Trunks hadn't said it snappishly, even though that's the way it may have sounded. He was just trying to get Marron to finish whatever it was she had to say. True, he was extremely exhausted, but he was still willing to hear her speak.

"Well, about our wedding: are you sure you want to do this now?" Marron asked, situating herself so as to look at Trunks directly. "You said yourself that you were nervous about it, and Kami knows I am too. So, I was just thinking...maybe we could wait until next year to get married."

"Absolutely not!" Trunks sat up, staring at Marron, his eyes wide. "We've been together three years and that's not long enough for you? Marron, I know you're feeling uneasy about this, but even if we did wait a year, don't you think you'd have the same feelings as you do now?"

No. That's what she wanted to say, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Trunks. She had been secretly hoping that he would agree with her on the wait-another-year thing, that way, she'd have more time to contemplate on how to tell Trunks about Goten.

º º º

"Do you know what she asked me?"

"I, uh...no," Goten said, taking a few steps back.

"She asked if we could postpone our wedding until next year! Isn't that crazy? Why do you think she would do that, Goten?"

Trunks' face was beat-red and his facial expression showed one of a maniac. With each step taken back by Goten, Trunks countered with taking two forward.

"Trunks, I--"

"--Oho, it's too late to get yourself out of this one, Goten. Marron's decided who it is she loves, and do you know who that person is?"

Begin Flashback

"I still don't know why Marron would just run off like that. Ugh, it disgusts me that I don't know where she is! Why would she do this?"

Trunks kept both of his shaking hands on the steering wheel, but it was obvious to anyone that he could have a wreck at any moment; more than half of his mind was on finding Marron rather than the other cars on the road.

"I wish you would stop that," Goten said irritibly. "You're worried about Marron, I know, I am too. But the important thing is that we stay focused and find her, instead of having you act like this is the end of the world. All right?"

Goten didn't bother waiting for his friend's answer; when he turned his head, he saw a young blonde-headed girl, wearing a pink dress. He had to stop himself from jumping out of the car and wrapping his arms around her, but he realized it wasn't her, and turned back to Trunks, who was staring dumbfoundedly at the stretch of road before him. And then, while it sat on the tip of his lips, Goten accidently let slip what had been on his mind for over a year now.

"I love her, Trunks."

Goten sworn he had felt all the organs in his body slam against his front side as Trunks screeched the car to a halt. He felt dizzy, but after a few seconds, he urged himself to look up at his friend.

"What did you say?" Trunks asked, in what sounded like a mad whisper.

Goten hesitated; how was he going to get himself out of this one? He had just told Trunks his ultimate secret, the secret that would most definately cost him his friendship with Trunks and the girl of his dreams.

"I said I saw a dove, that's all," Goten said, in an attempt to cover his slip-up.

Apparently, Trunks had not heard Goten the second time for he replied, "You said you loved her? Who?"

Seeing that there was no way of getting out of this, Goten answered, "Marron; I love Marron..."

"...You l-love her?"

Goten hung his head, maintaining a strong gaze on his laced-up sneakers. He wanted to find a way to go back in time; back another two years so that maybe he could try and prevent himself from loving Marron and going out with Paris. Maybe if he had just considered the both of them as just friends, then none of this would have happened. Unfortunately, Goten wouldn't be able to find any time machines that were handy at the moment, so he merely looked up at Trunks, a pained look on his face.

"That's right," he said, heaving the heaviest of sighs. "Trunks, I don't know what's wrong with me; I shouldn't love Marron, you should!"

"But I--"

"--I know you do, and that's the problem. Having knowing that you love her, are ENGAGED to her, that shouldn't make me want her even more. It's almost like a challenge to me: it's like the more your wedding date nears, the more I want to take her away from you! It's like...it's like I don't want you two to be together..."

Cars were beginning to honk loudly at the two Saiyans, for when Goten had confessed his feelings, Trunks had slammed on his brakes, stopping the car in the middle of the street. They were lucky no one ran into the back of them.

Trunks, taking this moment to glane up at his rearview mirror, realized that he had better move the two of them off the road before someone went "Super-Karate-Death-Car" on them.

"C'mon, let's talk about this somewhere else..," Trunks said, placing his foot back on the acceleration, and putting the car was back in motion.

End Flashback

"Well?" Trunks demanded. "Marron doesn't love me anymore, does she?"

"She doesn't love me if that's what you're implying!" Goten cried. "I tried to make her see my feelings, I even wanted her to return those feelings--"

Goten's head was spinning and he could have sworn he felt his jaw snap. He looked up at Trunks, just now realizing that he had been thrown to the ground. That's when he remembered that Trunks had punched him square in the mouth, causing the unsuspecting Goten to fall over on his rump.

"You just hit me!" Goten exclaimed, rubbing his swollen cheek and pulling himself up off the ground.

Trunks remained silent. He had a mixed look of anger and shock, which made him look even scarier. His mind was racing; he remembered back in Hawaii how Goten had confessed his feelings of love about Marron, and how they had gone and talked about it at a park just off Waikiki. But thinking about it now had caused a fury to rise within Trunks, and he felt like he just had to vent it.

"You were having an affair with my my fiancee!"

"Trunks, it's not an affair unless you're married! And still, it wasn't like she was cheating on you; it was all me. I admitted my feelings, I tried to persuade into doing things with me...but she was too naïve to care or even bother."

This time when Trunks swung his fist, Goten was able to catch a glimpse in order to brace himself for the attack. Trunks had aimed and made contact with the same cheek as before, and Goten winced as he felt his friend's fist graze him as he took a step back.

"Don't talk about her like that!" Trunks bellowed, the anger on his face rivaling that of his father's.

"Well, then quit beatin' up on me!"

"Why? Kami knows you deserve it."

When Goten realized what he was doing, he had already thrust out his fist, punching Trunks straight in the jaw. Trunks, unexpecting of the attack, stumbled backwards, just stopping himself before he fell.

Thus began an all-out brawl between two best friends. There was no need for ki blasts, Super Saiyans, fancy blocks and dodges, or flying: this was just the punching match of the season. And it was merely a fight for love; the two didn't intend to kill each other, they just needed time to release their anger and other emotions that had built inside them over the past week.

º º º

Stay tuned for the final chapter of "Peaches & Creme". Coming soon! 


End file.
